Past Conferences: 2001-present

"Vietnam and Regional Architecture in Southeast Asia" 

2011

The conference featured a keynote presentation by Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and an informal panel discussion featuring other top experts from the U.S. and Vietnam: Raymond Burghardt, the former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam; Amb. Nguyen Duc Hung, Senior Advisor for Strategic Studies, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, and Tom Byrne, Senior VP Sovereign Regional Credit Officer for Asia and the Middle East, Moody's Singapore.  The conference was preceded by a day-and-half strategy session among conference participant and other experts.  These activities were made possible in part thanks to the generous support of the Mai Linh Group and the University of Montana Foundation.

For a full press release, click here.

"Methuselah's Challenge: Aging in Asia and America"

2009

The 25th Annual 2009 Mansfield Conference, the conference brings together a diverse group of specialists and practitioners dealing with the many issues relating to aging both as a policy issue for governments and from the perspective of the aged themselves and their advocates in the public arena.

For additional information on any of the Mansfield Center Conferences, please contact us, by phone, (406)-243-2988 or e-mail.

"Climate Change in Asia: Security Implications and Prospects for International Cooperation"

2008

The 2008 Mansfield Conference examines the issues of Climate Change, as an important part of the Mansfield Centers focus on world energy needs and the escalating frequency of extreme weather. Implications of severe weather as a  “threat multiplier,” potentially leading to exacerbation of resource scarcity and conflicts, higher frequency and intensity of extreme weather events (e.g. storms, floods, and droughts), and overwhelmed disaster-response capabilities, all of which may lead to large-scale migrations and failed states – the breeding grounds for extremism, fundamentalism and terrorism.

"The Emergence of India: Implications for the Asia-Pacific Region"

2006

Signaling the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center's decision to include India as an important part of its geographic focus, the 2006 Mansfield Conference focused on India's impressive emergence as an economic, military and strategic power and how India's rise have influenced both the region and India's bilateral and multilateral relations with China, Japan, and the United States. As was done in 2005, this conference was co-sponsored with the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation and was followed by a offsite retreat in which conference participants could elaborate on their conference presentations in a private setting. (View the 2006 Mansfield Conference program)

"On the Edge of the Abyss: Crises in North Korea and the U.S.-R.O.K Alliance"

2005

The 2005 Mansfield Conference focused on the latest turns in talks on the North Korean nuclear situation and the impact the crisis has had on the U.S.-R.O.K. Alliance. In addition to providing a public audience in Montana an opportunity to better understand these complex issues, the conference enabled participants to get better acquainted and to make clear their personal views and concerns regarding the North Korea issue in advance of a more focused retreat discussion.

"The Complex Face of Globalization in China"

2004

The 20th Annual 2004 Mansfield Conference examined the impact -- positive and negative -- that reform and opening have had on the Peoples Republic. Presentations interspersed keynote addresses with discussion-based panels on topics including economic development and trade, civil society and human rights, the environment, and popular culture. (View the 2004 Mansfield Conference proceedings)

"The Mansfield Centennial Celebration"

2003

2003 marked the 100th year anniversary of Mike Mansfield 's birth. In honor of Mike's legacy, the Mansfield Center, in collaboration with the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, hosted a birthday celebration, which included such notable presenters as Montana's Governor Judy Martz, former Ambassador to Japan Thomas S. Foley, and Mansfield biographer Don Oberdorfer.

"The Experience of War"

2001

The 2001 Mansfield Conference explored the concept of war and the historical and cultural effects war has had on individuals and societies through time. Presenters at the Experience of War Conference discussed topics such as "Israel's Future: Challenges in Light of International Instability," "World War II Japanese American Internment Camps Re-Examined," and "Frontiers of War and Nation in Japan: History, Memory, and Asian War."

Participants Include:

• Ambassador George McGovern
• The Honorable Yossi Amrani
• Dr. Ikuro Anzai